Brandi Carlile returned to Saturday Night Live on Nov. 2 with a commanding performance of “Church & State” and “Human,” both from her newly released solo album Returning to Myself.

This marks Carlile’s fourth time as musical guest on SNL and her second appearance this year, following an April duet with Elton John promoting their joint project Who Believes in Angels?. On Saturday’s show, she took center stage solo, delivering two emotionally charged performances.

Opening with “Church & State,” Carlile sang of a “failing empire” and sociopolitical unrest in a haunting arrangement co-written with producer Andrew Watt and longtime collaborators Phil and Tim Hanseroth.

She followed with “Human,” a soaring ballad that reflects on vulnerability and resilience — also the name of her upcoming Hu

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